Touch
by spooksfan08
Summary: Set in series 3. Companion story to Bruised. What did Ruth think?


**Disclaimer not mine I do not own Spooks. All belong to Kudos Productions and BB Television. This is Bruised from Ruth's point of view. No copyright infringement intended nor should be inferred.**

**Touch**

Ruth stared through the glass at the man behind his desk that had ultimately saved her life. Adam and Fiona had already said she had been saved because of Danny's quick thinking but she knew it would be Harry who had given the order to send the diamonds. It would have been Harry that had ordered the operation to stop Forstrell and ultimately save her. Yet he looked lost as he sat behind the solid oak desk in his office.

"Ruth?" Fiona smiled slightly. "Are you coming to the pub?"

"No." Ruth sighed. "Not tonight."

"You could do with some company." Colin smiled at her. Ruth shook her head.

"I don't think I'd be very good tonight. All I want to do is have a shower and fall into bed. Anyway, I've got some paperwork to finish here. I."

"Paperwork." Adam rolled his eyes. "You could have been killed today."

"But I wasn't and this still has to be finished. Sorry, Adam I know you all mean well but I am not coming to the pub. All I want to do is finish my threat assessment and go home." Danny squeezed her shoulder before ushering the rest of the team out of the Pods, leaving Ruth and Harry alone. So, now thirty minutes later Ruth found herself staring at bruised wrists and wondering what her boss thought of her. _I'm an absolute disaster. Look at him, he's probably working out how to send me back to CGHQ. God, I hope he isn't thinking of ways to send me back there. I'm a desk spook. And I wasn't in the field anyway. I was on a date! How sad does that make me look? On a date with a man I knew from college because the man who I know will never ever look at me isn't interested. Of course he won't look at me that way. He probably thinks I'm a Luddite. I mean who doesn't send texts? Oh yes, Ruth Evershed doesn't send text messages. _She looked up to see him staring into space when she knew he was supposed to be working. Sighing she realised she had been doing the same thing. She watched him for a moment, knowing he was not reading anything that was on the screen in front of him. Shaking her head she got to her feet and headed towards the office, knowing she had to find out what was bothering him. It was almost as if she needed to know if she was ok.

"Harry." She stepped into the office, tugging her sleeves over bruised wrists and painful hands. The last thing she wanted was to seem helpless in front of her boss. Harry smiled at her slightly, almost asking how she was. Something in his voice caught her attention. He seemed to be genuinely interested in her well being._ Of course he is. He's my boss. He would be just as interested if Danny or Adam were in here. Maybe he wouldn't be looking at them they way he is looking at me. Oh God. I'm blushing. I know I am. Say something Evershed! Stop analysing his tie and say something._

"I'm worried about Danny."

"Danny?" Harry sighed. "He spent most of today worried about you."

"He hasn't been himself since Zoe left." Harry sighed heavily and Ruth immediately regretted mentioning her friends. Danny and Zoe had been good to her since she had started at Thames House. _Zoe thought I was insane. Bonkers but brilliant? Isn't that what I overheard. Wonder if Harry agrees with her. About the bonkers bit. There is no way Harry thinks I'm brilliant. He probably thinks I'm a prize idiot. So lonely that I date a terrorist. By mistake! Great way to make an impression on your boss. _

"Ruth." She braved a look up at his face as he took her hand in his. It was clear he had seen the bruises that had quickly formed on her wrists. She swallowed hard, the sensation of his skin on hers causing her mind to go blank. This was her boss, her secret crush holding her hand in his.

"I'm fine."

"Ruth, this looks bad. You should see the doctor."

"I'm fine. I've had bad bruises before." She sighed as he kept hold of her hand, neither wanting to let go. She bit her lip as he seemed to close the space between them. The the Pod doors whooshed open. _Fiona! Oh God. Oh my God, I can't be here. I have to go home. I told the others I was finishing up here and going home. Alone. Always Alone. Oh God. _She stepped away from him as he glanced towards Fiona as she sheepishly made her way out of the Grid. It appeared she had returned to pick up her keys. Ruth pulled her hand back as Fiona exited the Pods. Seconds later she made her excuses and did her best not to run after her friend. All the while Harry's eyes burning a hole in her back. It was then in that moment she knew, she just knew things between her and Harry would never be the same again.

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A/N Please review


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